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A Christian Monarchist Canadian Tory Blog

Friday, February 17, 2012

I hate child pornographers and pedophiles, but I cannot support warrantless searches and information gathering. Perhaps we can have a system of expedited warrants, but I just don't like the idea that a government ( even a government that I generally support) could have such powers without warrants. I am not a fan of C-30, it needs to be amended.
Vic Toews, stay out of my inbox. And no, it's not because I'm trying to hide messages between me and kiddie porn providers.
I was about to write a column defending the Tories' "lawful access" bill, albeit with strong reservations. Then Public Safety Minister Vic Toews accused anyone and everyone who wasn't fully behind his bill of being supportive of the sexual creeps who prey on children by making and distributing pornographic images of them.
Seriously, Mr. Toews? Could you have done anything else that would have more thoroughly confirmed civil libertarians' fears about your bill's assault on privacy and personal liberty?
It is not a sign of indifference to the scourge of online child pornography to be concerned about giving police too much authority to snoop around in Canadians' online activities. That's a genie that cannot be put back in its bottle once it's been released.

6 comments:

Anonymous
said...

it happens all too often that even legislation with good intentions will over time develop into a monstrosity of over arching powers which were originally not intended. this bill is one of them. my personal opinion is that the good hackers (which are probably the originators of child porn) are probably one step ahead of police. in this instance, unlike the war on drugs, it is better to go after those who lay down their credit card numbers to purchase the pics and movs, bagging the odd originator in the process. we will never get rid of child porn entirely the same as we will never get rid of murder even though that is illegal. but what we can get rid of is our natural rights to privacy and place our fate in the hands of future legislators and do-gooders who will always push the boundaries of tyranny for our own good.

The hysteria that created the Long Gun Registry is essentially being reborn under the guise of preventing child pornography.

The problem is the proposed legislation assumes all the police agencies are noble and honest , and would never use the information for political retribution ... of all the people who who should understand this is Toews because of his divorce info being splashed on Twitter.

Anyone ... especially politicians could easily become prey to anyone in the police establishment or prosecutor who have an axe to grind !!!!

I agree and have let my conservative MP know. One only needs to look at the existing allowable warrantless searches from law-abiding gun owners to farmers to see how warrantless searches have been abused and how normal basic freedom has been trampled on.

The fact that it was called The Lawful Access act at first says everything about it. It is not to catch pedophiles. The people spreading this info about Toews is just proving to him he cannot keep info safe, assuming the info is correct. If it is not then he should be asking the police to investigate.

The thing is that the bill does not allow warrantless searches. It specifically requires them. It does however require ISPs to disclose contact information (name, address, telephone) which they do voluntarily now. Those requests under the new law will be documented and reported to the privacy commisionar to ensure the police are not violating people's privacy. In other words this bill actually reins in police powers.

Brian @ The hysteria that created the Long Gun Registry is essentially being reborn under the guise of preventing child pornography.

Well put Brian. One only has to look at how the Police abuse that atrocity to individual rights and freedoms known as the Firearms Act e.g. Ian Thompson to see how they will interpret this legislation.